1. Pronouns

2. Menu Resources Pronoun Case (List) Indefinite Pronouns (List)
Working with Indefinite Pronouns
Reflexive Pronouns
Comparison Using Pronouns
Who versus Whom
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Overview
Number
Person
Ambiguous
Repetitious

3. Purdue Owl: Using Pronouns Clearly
Resources
Purdue Owl: Using Pronouns Clearly
Purdue Owl: Pronoun Case (includes a list of pronouns)
Purdue Owl: Reflexive Pronouns
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4. Pronoun Case Menu Used as subjects Used as objects Used as possessives
Used as reflexive
Singular I me
my, mine
myself
you
you, yours
yourself he
him
his
himself
she
her
hers
herself it
its
itself
Plural we us
our, ours
ourselves
your, yours
yourselves
they
them
their, theirs
themselves
Singular or plural
who
whom
whose
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5. Take singular or plural
Indefinite Pronouns
Take the singular verb
everyone
someone
anyone
no one
everybody
somebody
anybody
nobody
everything
something
anything
nothing
each
another
either (of)
neither (of)
one (of)
much
such (a)
Take the plural verb
both
few
many
several
Take singular or plural
all
any
more
most
none
some
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6. Working with Indefinite Pronouns
Everyone is hungry.
The singular indefinite pronoun, everyone, takes the singular verb, is.
Both were guilty.
The plural indefinite pronoun, both, takes the plural verb, were.
All of the apples were spoiled.
All of the sugar was spilled.
All can take the both the plural and singular.
“Apples” is plural so all takes the plural verb.
“Sugar” is singular so all takes the singular verb.
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7. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Overview
The antecedent is the word to which the pronoun refers.
Mary wanted donuts, so she went to the store to buy some.
Mary is the antecedent.
She is the pronoun that refers to the antecedent.
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8. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Number
must agree in number (singular or plural) with the antecedent
Incorrect: The people went to the party. He had a great time.
“People” is the antecedent.
“He” is the pronoun, but it does not agree with the antecedent because “people” is plural, and “he” is singular.
How do we fix this?
Correct: The people went to the party. They had a great time.
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9. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Person
must agree in person with the antecedent
Incorrect: The author went to the book signing. She only had one fan.
“Author” is the antecedent.
“She” is the pronoun, but it does not agree with the antecedent because “author” is not clearly male or female.
How do we fix this?
Correct: The author went to the book signing. He or she only had one fan.
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10. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Ambiguous
the antecedent must be clearly presented prior to stating the pronoun
Josephine and Louise walked to the room, and she went into it.
Which “she” went into the room?
They call Chicago the Windy City.
Who is “they?”
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11. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Repetitious
do not state the antecedent and include a pronoun directly after it
By removing the comma and “she,” the sentence is now clear and without repetition.
You cannot leave “she” and remove “Julia Alvarez” otherwise it will not be clear who the “she” is, and it will then be ambiguous.
Incorrect: In “Snow,” author Julia Alvarez, she writes about a young, immigrant girl experiencing school in the United States during the Cold War.
How do we fix this?
Correct: In “Snow,” author Julia Alvarez, she writes about a young, immigrant girl experiencing school in the United States during the Cold War.
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12. Reflexive Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns Used Correctly:
the person is doing something to or for oneself
Incorrect: For more information, please call Beth or myself.
Incorrect: Tina, herself, likes pizza.
How do we fix this?
Reflexive Pronouns Used Correctly:
Martha cooked dinner for herself.
Jim burned himself while cooking dinner. (He did it to himself).
Correct: For more information, please call Beth or myself.
Correct: Tina, herself, likes pizza.
The use of myself is incorrect here. You would not call myself. You would call “me.” This sentence should read “For more information, please call Beth or me.”
The use of herself is unnecessary. You can simply say “Tina likes pizza.”
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13. Comparison Using Pronouns
Choose the correct pronoun:
The company paid Mary the same as I/me.
Paul did better on the math test than he/him.
This is explaining that Paul took the test, and he took the test. Therefore, Paul did better on the math test than he did.
This is explaining that the company is paying Mary, and the company is paying me. Therefore, the company paid Mary and me.
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14. Who versus Whom
“Who” functions as a subject. “Whom” functions as an object.
Always take the phrase and ask it as a question. Then, when you answer it, answer it using they or them.
Example: Everyone who/whom heard the band was impressed.
Who heard the band?
They heard the band.
Since the answer is they, you would use who.
Example: The people who/whom we met at the hospital had the same opinion.
Who did we meet at the hospital?
We met them at the hospital?
Since the answer is them, you would use whom.
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